MEANING
Present throughout much of a place, activity, or system, rather than confined to one part.
Use it for
describing a problem found across an institution; distinguishing widespread influence from an isolated incident; showing that a pattern reaches many settings or levelsDescribes a pattern spread through many parts of a system rather than a single localized occurrence. Writing functions: Significance / Scope, Analysis / Interpretation.
Words that belong together
- a pervasive influence
- pervasive inequality
- a pervasive assumption
On the page
The review identifies a pervasive assumption that access alone guarantees participation.
The effects were pervasive across the organization, although their intensity varied between departments.
Word forms
- Base
- pervasive
Usage notes
Adjective; more pervasive and most pervasive are natural. No regular -er/-est forms. Register: formal. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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